Like pretty much everyone else with an email account, we at Shutl await with great anticipation for the Money Saving Expert newsletter to fall into our in-boxes every week so we can bag ourselves the best deals possible.  After the girls had had their shoe fix for the week, and we all checked that we aren’t paying to much for our bills, this little nugget caught our eye.

In the same week that Waitrose launch their online delivery option, putting the entire population of Hampshire in a state of unease when faced with the choice between Ocado and Waitrose own delivery, Money Saving Expert has a lighthearted thread dedicated entirely to interesting online grocery shopping substitutions.  Amongst the somewhat normal sounding substitutions of 2 whole chickens when the customer ordered chicken wings, and the frankly fantastic dozen Creme Eggs instead of 12 Organic Free Range Eggs, there are some real head-scratchers.   I feel sorry for the poor soul who ordered a pack of Durex Extra only to be presented with a box of Anadin Extra, and Shutldog was visibly appalled when we told him of a tin of dog food being replaced with cat food.

Humorous though they may be, these issues do raise an interesting point.  If a customer orders groceries online that are unavailable, should we even attempt to replace them?  On one hand, if you’re planning a roast dinner and a free range, organic, corn-fed chicken arrives instead of the value range one you ordered, kitchen dancing probably happens.  On the other hand, only you know for which purpose you ordered said item, and even the smartest computer cannot follow one’s thought patterns.  Spare a thought for the lady who decided to cook a curry on a dreary Thursday, but was presented with strawberry instead of plain yogurt in her online shopping.  To most of us, strawberry definitely trumps plain, but it’s no use in curry!

At Shutl we believe in great customer service, and to that end would always encourage the retailers we work with to let the customer know in advance if they are going to be shutl’d a toaster instead of a kettle.  We know everyone out there has their own horror story, so the next person who comes in to Shutl HQ for a cup of tea and brings with them a great tale of substitution is being offered a free tin of Whiskas and at least 15 minutes of unbearable cuteness curtsey of Shutldog!